I'll stand by you
by Morbidmuch
Summary: Logan comes back after one year on the road to find that more things have changed than he wanted them too. Rogan, set after X3.


AN: This idea sorta came to me at midnight after listening to Gina Glocksen's version of I'll stand by you, and it suddenley dawned on me that this song is perfect for Rogan. So anyway, the story is set between the second and third movie, and the song is I'll stand by you by The Pretenders.

One more thing which I've probably said before, but feel free to check out my Rogan and Willabeth videos on My penname is DarkBeatles, so please watch and comment 

Disclaimer: I still don't own the X-men, or the song, only my words and the plot.

**I'll stand by you**

Rogue looked around the room, and when she saw Bobby starting to walk towards her, she immediately turned around to race out of the room. He had been sort of following her ever since she broke up with him soon after the Alkali Lake incident, wanting to get back together with her, and honestly, Rogue was kinda scared. She was so busy thinking about getting away from Bobby that she collided with a hard chest, and when she looked up to apologize, she lit up in a big smile.

"Logan!" she exclaimed and threw her arms around him. He gave her an awkward hug back, but couldn't help the smile that crept onto his face. God, he had misseed her. During his time away, he had been in Laughlin City, cage fighting, and he had more than once been reminded of the fact that it was in the same bar he and Rogue had met.

"You miss me kid?" he asked, and she gave a look of deep thinking. Detirmend never to confess it to Logan, she had missed him like crazy, and had listened carefully every day for the familiar sound of a motorbike rolling in on mansion grounds.

"Nah, not really," she replied and he chuckled. God she had grown up a lot since he left over a year ago. Her body had softer curves than he remembered, and he felt the Wolverine at the back of his mind starting to notice how much she in fact had grown. "Admit it!" she said suddenly, and he realized that he'd missed something.

"Admit what?" he asked, confused, and Rogue laughed.

"You chose to come back today because you remebered it was prom night!" she exclaimed enthusiastically, and Logan mentally slapped himself. He hadn't even remembered that his Marie was graduating soon. _Which meant that she was 18, and legal, _said the Wolverine in the back of Logan's mind, but he chose to ignore him.

"Off course darlin'," he lied through his teeth, but decided it was worth it when he saw the huge smile on her face.

"Oh mah god Logan, you'll never believe what happened," she exclaimed, having forgotten about her skin, and then pressed her bare hand against his cheek. Logan felt a shiver go down his spine when he felt her soft skin against his, and then nearly pulled away when he noticed something. There was no pull, no sign at all that she was seconds away from slowly killing him. He too lit up in the brightest smile Rogue had ever seen on him, and overtaken by the good news, he picked her up and spun her around in the air, causing her to laugh. "Logan, put me down," she laughed and he did as she said.

"That's great Marie, really great. So, you have someone to share it with?" he asked, hoping that she would say no. Knowing that she and Bobby had broken up, Logan knew that there was no one who deserved her. Not even him. She was too pure, too innocent.

"Yes, with m," the voice that came from behind Logan made him turn around, and he couldn't believe it. Rogue and...Scott? Was this some cruel joke? Logan hated Scott. It was bad enough that Scott had had Jean, and now Marie.

"Scott," Rogue said, her face lighting up, and Logan looked back at her.

"How long?" he questioned, and Rogue hated the look of betrayl in his eyes. She hadn't betrayed him...right?

"Six months," her words threw him off balance, and it wasn't until Scott spoke Logan realized that it hand't been a joke. It was real.

"Rogue, Storm said she needed you for something in the kitchen"

Rogue gave him a kiss (which made Logan gag), and gave Logan another smile before she walked off.

"Ah'll see you later Logan," she called back over her shoulder, and Logan turned around to face Scott. He had a smug look on his face, and it took every fiber in Logan not to beat the crap out of him.

"It kills you, doesn't it? To know that every woman you've loved, I was there first" Logan clenched his jaw, and the tip of his claws made their way out of his knuckles.

"I just want her to be happy Cyclops, even if it's with you," he nearly spat out, and Scott just gave him a glare, and then left. Logan didn't move, but sighed. He should never have left. Things had gone from bad to worse since he'd left.

_It was for the best Logan, you know that.__ Rogue needed to grow up, and she has. She is no longer the girl you left. She's a young woman now. _The professor's voice echoed inside Logan's mind, and he shook his head.

_Can't I atleast get some privaty?__ You know I hate when you read my mind without permission. _Logan projected, and he could hear the professor laugh.

_You were projecting so loud that I couldn't block you out. Welcome back__ Logan._ He said, and then it went quiet, something Logan appritiated. He picked up his travelling bag and made his way to his room, deep in thoughts.

Meanwhile, in another part of the mansion, Rogue was pouring her heart out to Storm, who was more than willing to listen to the young woman's problems.

"Ah just don't know what to do. Ah mean, Ah've loved Logan since Ah can't even remember, but Ah think Ah love Scott too," she said, and the older woman lay a comforting hand on Rogue's knee.

"Love's tough Rogue, it doesn't always work like we want it to"

Rogue sighed and tucked back a piece of ivory hair behind her ear. "Ah know, that's the problem. Ah don't know which one to choose."

"Think of it like this; Who makes you the most happy? Who makes you sad sometimes? Who do you like spending time with most?" Storm said, and Rogue looked up at her.

"Admit that you choose those question to trick me into the right direction?" Storm blushed a bit and Rogue smiled. "Because you've made me realize who Ah want. Ah have to go tell him" She called out as she practiclly ran from the kitchen.

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Logan was pulled out of his thoughts by a knock on the door, and when he opened it, a smile formed on his face.

"Hi," he said, and the woman on the other side of the threshold smiled back.

"Hi Logan," she replied and pushed back a streak of ivory hair behind her ear.

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"Scott, Ah need to talk to you" Rogue said as she stood in the doorway of Scott's bedroom, and he looked up at her.

"Sure, come on in," he answered and she sat down on the bed next to him. He moved his head to give her a kiss, but when he was just an inch from her, she spoke.

"Ah can't do this," her words surprised him, and he pulled back.

"What?"

Rogue stood up. "Ah can't do this Scott. Ah can't keep lying to myself" Scott's look when he realized what she was saying nearly broke her heart. Despite the fact that she didn't love him, she still cared a great deal for him.

"It's him, isn't it?" he said, his voice dripping with bitterness.

"Ah'm sorry," she said and then left, leaving him alone in his bedroom. When she was walking down the hallway to Logan's room, the sound of a motorbike starting stopped her. "No!" she whispered, and ran towards his room. Well there she found it empty, except for Storm, who was sitting on his bed. "What did you say to him? Why did he leave again?" Rogue demanded to know, and Storm looked surprised at her.

"What do you mean left? He hasn't left, he just had some things to take care of in town. He'll be back in time for the prom" she said and Rogue sighed in relief. The thought that Logan had left again, right as she was gonna tell him she loved him, was unbearable. "Why don't you and Kitty go and start to get ready, you only have three hours" When she was reminded that the prom in fact started in three hours, Rogue squeaked and rushed off.

"Kitty, Kitty where are you?" Rogue called out, and then jumped high in the air when her friend came walking through a wall.

"Rogue, I've been looking all over for you! We've gotta start getting ready" The girls squeaked and then rushed into their room. Jubilee was wisiting some relatives in Japan, and would come back the day before graduation.

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Logan looked around the store and sighed. The things he did for love. After he had come back to his room and gotten a visit from Storm, he had to get out of the mansion for a little while. Somehow, he ended up in a shop that sold tuxedos, and he decided to buy one. Despite the fact that he thought it was stupid, Logan was going to go to that prom, mostly so that he could see his Marie all dollied up. He had been to a bar before, and earned himself a black eye which had healed within seconds. This time it was an old drunk man who had tried to rape one the waitresses in the bathroom. She was lucky Logan's hearing was so inhanced, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to hear her. The fact that the girl looked a lot like his Marie hadn't improved the situation, and Logan had been very close to ripping the man into pieces.

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Rogue looked at Kitty and smiled. "You look great Kitty" She said, and Kitty giggled. She was wearing a strapless red dress and a pair of red high heels and had curled her long brown hair, but decided to leave it down, framing her face.

"Thanks Rogue, you look great too" Kitty replied, and Rogue blushed. She had pinned her hair up in a French twist, which looked cool with the two streaks of ivory in her otherwise darkbrown hair, and was wearing a lightblue sleevless dress and long silkgloves in the same colour. "Are you ready to go?"

Rogue nodded and took a deep breath before she and Kitty left. Walking down the hallway, Rogue's mind wandered to Logan, and where he was. She got so wrapped up in her own thoughts that she didn't hear when Kitty spoke.

"Huh?"

Kitty laughed. "I said; are you meeting Scott at the dance?"

Rogue shook her head. "No, Ah broke up with him earlier today"

Kitty gasped. "Oh no! Why?"

"Because Ah was lying to myself, and he was lying to himself too. Ah only started to date him because without Logan and Bobby Ah felt lonely, and he only agreed to date me because he missed Jean. He still do," she finished and Kitty shook her head.

"So it was absolutley nothing to do with a certain gruff Canadian who came back today?" Kitty demanded to know, and Rogue sighed.

"How do you know me so well?" she asked, and Kitty giggled. "But the answer is yes, it has all to do with Logan. Ah love him"

Kitty stopped, a shocked look on her face."Whoah! You love him?" Rogue nodded, and Kitty lit up in a bright smile. "That's great Rogue" she said and gave the other girl a hug. "You're telling him tonight?" she asked and Rogue nodded.

"Yes, I'm telling him tonight" She blushed, and Kitty smiled dreamingly. It was all so romantic, and Kitty was a hopeless romantic. Rogue started to walk again, and Kitty followed her.

"That's so romantic Rogue. Did you and Scott ever...?" she trailed off, but Rogue understood she was saying anyway, and shook her head.

"No, we didn't. Scott wanted to, but Ah didn't. I just didn't feel ready." Rogue decided then that it was time to change topic, and smiled big.

"So, you excited about tonight?"

Kitty's face lit up in the brightest smile Rogue had ever seen. "Off course I am." She said, and then her eyes went wide. "Oh my god, we're here" Rogue looked away from Kitty, and she smiled when she saw that they were standing outside the doors to the Prom.

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Logan adjusted his tie and then stepped inside, looking around. The prom had started nearly an hour ago, and he had just gotten back.

"Logan!" Rogue walked up to Logan with a pearly smile on her face, and Logan felt his heart-rate quicken.

"Marie, wow. You look absolutley amazing"

Rogue blushed at his words, and gave him an approving look. "You look good too Logan, is that tux new?" She asked, and Logan laughed.

"Yeah, actually. I bought it an hour ago or something. Changed my mind in the last second. Where's Scott?" he said, his expression turning dark against his will, and Rogue shrugged.

"Ah don't know" Logan raised an eyebrow questioningly. "Ah sorta broke up with him earlier" she couldn't help but to notice that Logan's expression turned a bit happier, and she smiled.

"You wanna dance?" he asked, and Rogue nodded.

She let him lead her out to the dance floor, where an old ballad was playing. Looking slightly embarrased, Logan placed one arm around her waist, and the other one he used to take Rogue's hand in his, and he pulled her closer, so that their joined hands were resting over his heart. They swayed slowly together to the music, and Logan felt his head inch closer and closer to Rogue's. When they were only a few inches apart, Rogue spoke up.

"Can we go out to the balcony? It's really warm in here"

"Sure Marie," he answered, and they walked together out to the deserted balcony. Rogue looked up into the starlit night and sighed.

"It's beautiful isn't it? The stars Ah mean. There's so many of them" Logan looked up at the sky he too, and then nodded.

"Yeah, it is," he said, and then turned to look at Rogue. "Hey Marie," She looked at him, the ghost of a smile on her face, and he took a deep breath. "I want you to know that I'm sorry it didn't work out with you and Scott."

Rogue shrugged. "Ah'm not. Not really anyway. Ah don't even know why we started dating in the first place. Maybe because we were lonely," she said and wrapped her arms around her as a chilly breeze caused her skin to break out in goosebumps. "Ah don't like to be lonely" Rogue said, and Logan looked at her, a bit confused by the tone of her voice. She sounded sad, but happy.

"I don't really like to be lonely either" Logan confessed, and Rogue looked at him with a look of surprise.

"You don't? Ah always thought that..." she didn't finished the sentance, but Logan understood anyway.

"I didn't leave because I like being lonely, quite the opposite. I hate being lonely. But sometimes when I have to think about big things, I prefer to be alone while doing it," he said and Rogue nodded.

"The next time you go away, can I come with you?"

Logan's eyebrows shot up in suprise. "Why would you wanna come with me?" He asked, and when he, despite the darkness, saw the bright red colour of her cheeks, he understood. "What about Cyclops?" He asked, and she shook her head.

"Ah don't want him"

"What about Iceman?" he questioned, and once again, Rogue shook her head.

"Ah don't want him." she walked closer to Logan, and as he understood what was about to happen, he knew that it couldn't. It wasn't fair for Marie to get her hopes up.

"I think we should go back inside" he proposed, and Rogue's smile faltered, but then reappeared.

"Yeah, we should," she said, and Logan offered her his arm, and she accepted it before they walked back to the prom. They looked up when Peter, who was the dj, spoke.

"Okay, here is one for all you lovebirds out there." Logan looked hesitately at Rogue, and then held out his hand towards her.

"Dance with me," he requested and Rogue nodded. He led her out on the dancefloor, and once again took her hand in his, and placed their joined hands over his heart.

_Oh why you look so sad_

_Tears are in your eyes_

_Come on and come to me now_

_Don't be ashamed to cry_

_Let me see you through_

_Cuz' I've seen the dark side too_

They swayed slowly to the music, and Rogue couldn't help but to notice that the song seemed to fit in on her and Logan very much. When she looked over at Peter, he was looking at them, and when he saw that Rogue was looking, he gave her the thumbs up. Rogue stiffled a giggle, and when she saw Logan looking down at her, she gave a small smile.

_When the night falls on you_

_You don't know what to do_

_Nothing you confess_

_Could make me love you less_

_I'll stand by you_

_I'll stand by you_

_Won't let nobody hurt you_

_I'll stand by you_

"I'm sorry you can't come with me" Logan said, and Rogue looked up at him.

"Why can't Ah?" She demanded to know, and Logan sighed.

"Because you're too young, to innocent. You don't need an old geezer with only half a memory and nightmares that can kill you," he replied, and Rogue shook her head.

"Ah don't care. Ah'm 18 now, Ah can come with you if Ah want to. It's perfectly legal" she said, and when Logan looked into her brown eyes, they seemed to scream with love. "Ah love you Logan" she whispered, but his hearing picked it up anyway.

"You don't love me"

Rogue felt herself getting angry. "Yes, Ah do. You can't tell me how Ah feel, Logan. You don't know how Ah feel. Ah love you, that's why Ah broke up with Scott. Because Ah love you" She said, and Logan's mind was in a big jumble. Was it possible that she really loved him?

_So if you're mad get mad_

_Don't hold it all inside_

_Come on and talk to me now_

_And hey what've you got to hide_

_I get angry too_

_Well I'm a lot like you_

Logan noticed now too, when he really listened to the song, that it described him and Rogue very much, and she looked up at him.

"See? Ah'll stand by you Logan, weither you like it or not. You're not getting rid of me this time," she said, and Logan knew that she was reffering to when he had left after the incident at Libery Island.

_When you're standing at the crossroads_

_Don't know which path to choose_

_Let me come along_

_Cuz' even if you're wrong_

_I'll stand by you_

_I'll stand by you_

_Won't let nobody hurt you_

_I'll stand by you_

"You really love me?" Logan asked carefully, and Rogue nodded.

"Ah do. Ah told you so" she said, and Logan took a deep breath before uttering the words that would change his life forever.

"I love you Marie," he said, and Rogue's face lit up in a bright smile.

"Ah love you too Logan," she whispered, and Logan gave an almost invisible smile. Then he stopped moving, and placed one hand gently at the back of Rogue's neck. Their faces inched slowly together, and when their lips met, Rogue let out a small moan. Her arms found their way around his neck, and he pulled her closer to him. The feelings his kiss evoked had Rogue's head swimming, and she was glad that Logan was holding her, otherwise she was sure to fall down on the floor.

_And when_

_When the night falls on you baby_

_You'll feel it all long, you won't be on your own_

_I'll stand by you_

_I'll stand by you_

_Won't let nobody hurt you_

_I'll stand by you_

When they song ended, the couple still stood kissing in the middle of the dancefloor, and Scott clenched his jaw tightly.

"You know that those two were going to get together regardless of anything else" The professor's voice said appeared, and Scott looked at him.

"I still don't like it. And it's not because she left me for him, it's because he's going to hurt her. They're not strong enough to keep it together." His voice was lined with bitterness, and the professor looked from Scott to the kissing couple before he spoke up.

"That's where you're wrong, Scott. They're perfect for each other. Rogue helps Logan maintain his humanity, while Logan helps Rogue deal with all the bad spots where her fortitude is running a bit thin. Together, they are a complete puzzle, without each other, there will always be one piece missing."

Scott sighed. "I suppose you're right. As usual"

Back on the dancefloor, the Wolverine and Rogue had broken apart, and were now standing and gazing into each other's eyes.

"So, when do we leave?"

Logan asked at her question. "How soon do you wanna go?"

"Tomorrow?" her tone was hopeful, but Logan shook his head. "Graduation?"

Logan thought about it for a second, and then nodded. "Graduation it is. On one condition though"

Rogue looked confused at him. "What?"

"That you let me by you a ring. If we're gonna do this, we're doing it proper"

Her only reply was to hug him tight, and for once, Logan felt that he might be able to stay for a longer while in one place. Forecast that he had his Marie with him, off course.

THE END

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Author's note: I just had to add an A/N here too. This is it for me folks, this is my last (probably, nothing is set yet) X-men fic for a long time. I wasn't even going to finish this one, I've been working on it since New Year's, but I thought that it was a bit unfair to just trop you all cold turkey.

The only reason really I'm not writing X-men fics anymore is lack of interest. It might change though, you never know.

Hope you like this story, and feel free to read my other X-men stories, and the Pirates and Buffy too if that's your cup of tea.

Cheerios.

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